She was working so hard.... So dedicated to her kids.... Working 50+ hours a week, to provide for her family. Emotionally and physically, Sheri was a maxed-out mom.

But then her own mother was diagnosed with a grave illness; one that required serious care. Nobody else in the family was in a position to step up and Sheri couldn’t let her mother suffer alone. So she made the sacrifice and added “caregiver” to her list of responsibilities – but it was too much...

Rosanna’s family thought they knew Rosanna through and through. They knew that she came from a broken home, had a rough childhood and because of it, she struggled with deep-seated issues. But they had no idea that history included heavy drug use, that Rosanna had used cocaine since she was 15, methamphetamine since she was 26 – or that she continued to feed her addiction under their roof in secret.

It was a secret that was tearing their family and Rosanna apart.

“I kept it hidden as best I could from my family. But methamphetamine makes you crazy. I would constantly instigate fights with my boyfriend, everything was broken in our house. I was out of control.”​But although Rosanna’s family didn’t see it, God knew that Rosanna needed help.

It’s not fair, but we all tend to do it....When we see someone missing teeth, we tend to “label” them... We somehow tend to think of them as unintelligent... unprofessional... even untrustworthy. No, it doesn’t really make sense, logically. But most of us do it.​That’s what happened to Jonathan. He was still just a young boy when he fell in with the wrong crowd. He started putting substances in his body. Soon he was a full-fledged addict. Year after year, he battled his addictions ... and lost.

Pam was recently recognized by Mr. Jim Click, founder of Linkages social services agency, as the top Employment Specialist in Tucson!

Pam was a successful businesswoman, completing 25 years of service to Alaska Airlines before becoming addicted to painkillers after a series of surgeries. She lost everything – her career, her home and had to reach out to her brother for help. He welcomed her in, but it didn’t last. When she was arrested for forging a prescription, her brother realized she needed more help than he could provide. In an act of tough love, he dropped Pam off at our women’s shelter.

“It was at Gospel Rescue Mission where I found the healing I needed,” says Pam. “I learned who I was in Christ and for the first time in my life I experienced unconditional love. It changed everything.”

The support of our donors, volunteers, and staff helped Pam find sobriety and salvation, but it didn’t end there... ​

When he walked through our doors last October, Eric had been homeless on and off for years, endlessly repeating a cycle of temporary sobriety, followed by depression and an eventual return to addiction. He was trapped in a prison of his own making.

But the support of our friends helped set Eric free. He was hungry and they fed him, he was homeless and they gave him a place to sleep.

Through the hard work of our counselors and staff they helped him overcome his addiction and the depression that drove him to it. They even helped him unlock his hidden potential. Through our Career Development Center, Eric discovered a love for numbers and math. His aptitude was off the charts and their loving support helped him not only earn his GED, but also connect him to the federal grants and college courses he would need to realize his dream of becoming an accountant.​But most importantly of all, they gave Eric a gift of eternal significance – a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Eric was baptized on February 7th of this year. ​

It was the end of the line. After a lifetime of addiction and heartache, Stephanie found herself stripped of everything she held dear – her home, her job, even the custody of her children. With no money and no place left to crash, she lived in the open desert of the Santa Cruz Wash, making her bed in the gaps under overpasses and spending Thanksgiving in the company of coyotes.

For three years, she wandered the wilderness homeless and hopeless. But God had not forgotten about Stephanie.

​Little did she know He was using your support to redeem another life. One who would become a lifeline for Stephanie when she needed it most.

The sad truth is, some folks will go hungry this Thanksgiving. Many will have too little to eat. Many families will be worried about how to feed their children – families like the Alstons.

They were a “normal” family, a lot like yours or mine — but a few years ago, they hit a rough patch.

Before they knew it, they were on the brink of losing everything. As Thanksgiving approached, there was no possible way they could have a turkey dinner. Mom and Dad didn’t know how to break the news to their children that, for the first time ever, Thanksgiving would be canceled.

If someone were to ask, "What’s the best thing about a traditional holiday meal?" At first, some might think, “The food.” But really, when you get right down to it, no matter what the menu is ... the best thing about it probably isn’t the food ... It’s the love.

It’s the people around the table, who love you. It’s the sharing. The chatter. The laughter. That “full feeling” — not just after a big meal... that feeling that life is good... it’s complete... it’s full of God’s blessings.

Some folks haven’t felt such a feeling in a long, long time... folks that maybe made some bad decisions along they way and ended up in a tight spot. That's what happened to Art, but things were going ok he thought. He was living with his daughter and her husband. Then, one night, there was a conflict...

Each year, the Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness host an Awards of Excellence Luncheon in which they honor ten individuals from across Arizona in the achievements towards ending homelessness. It is a great honor to be nominated and chosen for one of these awards. This year, our 2013 GRM Men's Center Shelter Graduate who now works at Old Pueblo Community Services, Philip Pierce was given this honor. His award was presented by Wes Shepherd, also a GRM Men's Center Shelter Graduate and 2010 AZCEH Award Winner, who is now our Men's Shelter Supervisor.